What have I become?
by Dimitri Vareshka
Summary: Memories.... in the end, they're all we have...'Following Dimitri, the 'Chosen One', through his ordeal, this is a tale that may leave one with new perspective... Or not.
1. Killing in the name

Disclaimer.

I don't own Fallout, Fallout 2, or any of the various spin-off's of the series.

I –do- own copies of 1, 2, and Tactics, though, Tic-Tacs was a bit of a let-down..

Some things in this tale are based off of events only taking place in MIB88's Fallout 2 Megamod, a collection of various cool mods, so, all of that credit goes to MIB88 and the many modders too numerous to list.

I just wanted to clear this up quickly, the story -may- seem somewhat 'campy' or somesuch towards the beginning, ala, the next chapter, but, as it goes on, it gets darker, reflecting how the wastes gradually begin to effect the Chosen One, and his outlook on life.

Remember, when you leave in the game, it's really the first time you've gone out too far from the village, so, you'd pretty much be at least a -little- naive, especially when younger.

-

-

"What have I become… My sweetest friend? Everyone I know… goes away, in the end…" N.I.N.-Hurt

-

I fell on my back, -hard-. That -bastard- Horrigan just knocked me to the side like a bloodied rag-doll…

Pieces of my stolen Power Armor were missing; ripped away in the fight. Blood and oil from the hydraulic-assisted servomotors were leaking onto my vault suit, reminding me of how badly I'd been hurt. I looked up, just as that metal freak ripped Sergeant Stone in half, and knocked Klint, one of my closest friends, twenty feet into the gray steel wall behind him. He didn't get up.

Vic and Cassidy weren't doing any better, and Myron, that little smart-ass, fell to a hail of bullets from one of the auto-turrets.

I couldn't see Sulik anywhere, and that worried me. Then, it hit me like a sledgehammer: Where's Davin?! I tried my damndest to get my head up and look, and, I saw him, face down, blood leaking out of his armor. Every moment up until now flashed by, every memory came screaming to life.

I lifted my M72, and aimed at the huge 'Secret Agent'. If I'm dying… This fucker is coming to hell with me…

My name's Dimitri, The Chosen One of a tribal village called Arroyo…. This is my story.


	2. The Temple of Trials, or, Yawn

Okay, second chapter.

I know, I know, it's pretty much a wall of text, and, some of it may seem a bit dull.

This is really just describing the romp through the Temple of Trials, so, of –course- it's going to be dull!

-

-

The sunlight made my vision dance for a moment, seeing as I was stupid enough to try and look into it. Typical of me.

My vision cleared, and the sight that stood before me was what I'd been anticipating, and dreading for the past month.

The huge stone monument before me, chipped and darkened by the harsh wastes, the Temple of Trials.

The Elder had thought it was finally my time to go through the Trials, to prove my birthright as the great-grandson of the Vault Dweller.

Klint, my old friend, stood behind me, the huge stone obelisk behind him blocking the only way back into the village.

I started up the old steps, and it hit me. I forgot my damn spear!

I already knew it was too late to go back, and, squaring my shoulders, I walked into the darkened recesses of the temple.

I had to blink as my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness and, seeing the old columns and ages-old walls brought a chill to my spine. Well, that, and, the sounds of crawling –things-.

"This.. is going to be fun…"

I walked forward, my eyes still adjusting, and stopped when I saw two huge ants scuttling near the door leading to the temple proper.

"I just had to forget the gods-damned spear!" Chastising myself, I glanced around, hoping to find –something- laying about that I could use.

A glint of metal caught my eye, and I rushed to it, picking it up, and groaned.

"A -bolt-?!" I had known what it was, from an old 'automobile magazine' Slik, the trader, had brought to the village years ago.

Still, it was better than nothing, and, while holding it to brace my hand when I started to beat the ants to death with my fists, I was shocked that it worked surpassingly well.

I opened the huge steel doors, and faced two paths, one to my right, and one continuing on. Fearing more insects, I headed on, but, stopped when I noticed a room to my left. My curiosity (Damn it to hell!) got the better of me, and, I slowly stepped in. Nothing seemed amiss, until I spied a pile of bones in the corner. I was too shocked to move, until the largest scorpion I'd ever seen bowled me over, and turned to stare me down.

It was huge, even by it's kin's standards, and was the color of death.

Stinger swaying menacingly, it started to move towards me.

All of my fear that had paralyzed me suddenly turned into rage, I was –NOT- going to let a damn scorpion kill –ME-, the spirit of the Vault Dweller!

Vaulting off of the stone-slab floor, I roared like the deathclaws in stories meant to scare the children, and rushed into the beast, using all of my rage given strength to ignore the sting and pincers ripping into me, and beating my way through it's tough carapace, crushing everything in it's 'head'.

As quickly as it started, the 'battle' ended, the black scorpion laying with it's head matter oozing from it's ruptured chitinous shell, and my own wounds bleeding and reeking of poison.

Using the last of my adrenaline given strength to my advantage, I rush down the corridor I didn't check, crushing the ants in the room, ripping open the top of the chest I found, and cried in relief: not only was there antidote, but, there were also Brujho Mushrooms, that had the power to make one feel even stronger than they were… well, if you believed everything Hakunin said, anyway.

I walked back to the hall I had found the scorpion's room off of, and reached it's end, finding another door, only, even if it was slightly ajar, it was jammed.

Cursing my luck again, I turned to the right, where, yet -another- hall lay. I hated to pass up an opportunity, so, I crushed the three scorpions on the way and in the strange room afterwards.

I searched, trying to find something that may help me, then, I saw it: the skeleton of a fallen warrior, clenching 2 sticks, one of metal, one wood.

I snatched them up as quickly as I could, and ran back to the jammed door, ramming the metal pole into a slightly opened area, and twisting it with all my might.

Slowly, with a hellish squeal, the door opened, and I walked through, eager to be nearing my goal's end.

The room I stepped in to was huge, with bones littering the floor. I strapped the metal pole, now too bent to be used as a weapon, to my back, and held my wooden one as a spear, ready for more foes.

Stepping slowly and lightly, I made my way through the room, thinking nothing was wrong, until I felt a tile shift under foot, and a strange **chnk** noise from a nearby wall. I turned to look, and that was what saved me: a sharpened pole came flying by, grazing my arm just as I turned.

Counting my luck, I hurried out of the room into a branch of two -more- corridors. Taking a chance, I went left, and killed the three hideous ants next to a giant hole in the floor. Not looking back, I run to the door in the adjoining room, only to find no lock.

Dismayed, I started walking back, when another plate shifted under my foot. Ducking I glance around to see what happened, but, the sound of the huge door opening caught my attention.

Running to it, the plate slipped back, and the door closed just as I reached it. It hit me, I needed to weigh the plate down….

"Gods thrice-damned… This is getting really, -really- old.."

Going back to the corridor I passed, and killing the scorpions in the room, I found just what I needed, a big ass slab from the wall, sitting on the floor.

Lugging the damn thing back wasn't fun, but, with the door opened, I walked through feeling triumphant.

What lay for me on the other side shocked me.

"More fucking hallways?!"

Cursing and muttering to myself, I walk down the closest one, and step into a columned room, with stone that seemed much older than the rest of the temple, and a chest next to another giant metal door.

After spearing the ants, I decided to give the chest a try, and was puzzled when I pulled out a strange package with 'LMD cigarettes' on it. What took my breath away, was what I pulled out next. A long, rusted tube with strange, cracked pieces of material, and more metal coming off of it. I remembered the Elder's and Slik's words now. This -thing- was a 'firebringer', one of the strong magics the Vault Dweller used to slay the Master.

Holding it reverently, I walked into the next room, to find a firepit, and Cameron standing in front of yet another door.

"Dimitri, you've made it!"

"Yes… It was a hard task, though"

"Well, it –is- the temple of Trials. But, are you ready for your final task"

"I've fought beasts, and avoided deadly traps.. it would make sense that my final task is to defeat another in combat, right?'

"Uhm… you've been spending –way- too much time with Hakunin, you know that, right? But, no, the final task is a test, a riddle, to see if you properly revere the Vault Dweller's spirit!"

"Oh, hell, this should be easy" I said, grinning, seeing as my task was nearly done.

-5 minutes later-

"Eh, you did good enough"

"Can I go now?"

"Yeah, go on, you made it through"

"VICTORY!!!!!"

"Calm down, you still have to talk to the Elder, and fulfill the prophecy, you know."

"Ack… damn!"

As Cameron sighs, and walks away, I gleam impatiently at the door, waiting for it to open. I stepped through, and I stood before the suit from the legendary Vault 13, the suit my ancestor wore before me.

I took time putting it on, amazed that anything could last so long, and marveling at the feel of the strange material.

I collected myself, and walked back to the entrance of the temple, and to the Elder's tent in the village.

-Long conversation later-

I stood in front of the Elder's tent, ready to leave for the outside world, but, I remembered, I should at least let Klint know that I was leaving the village.

He'd get angry otherwise, and probably throw a rock or two at me when I got back if I didn't.

He stood near the entrance to the temple, but shocked me with what he said; He wanted to go on my journey with me!

After taking the time to do my final good-byes to those around the village, saving my cousin's, Nagor, dog, Smoke, and getting told by Hakunin that I was basically too blind to be a shaman (Damn old man… I wanted to learn how to roll my –own- 'medicine'!), Klint and I stood near the end of the bridge, and stared at the vast expanse before us.

"Well, Klint, let's have some fun, eh?"

"I imagine we will… Just lay off Hakunin's herbs a little bit, okay?"

" Yeah… Sure…mumble-bastard-mutter…"

And so, that is how we first came to leave the safety of the village.

The only thing we knew to do, was seek a place called 'Klamath' and find someone to help our ailing crops.

You would think that the Elder could be just a –bit- more descriptive…

-

Okay, second chapter done!

I know, I said earlier, it may be a bit boring, but, things should start picking up on Dimitri and Klint's journey to Klamath, and, once they reach there, I'm hoping to have some fun with it.

Things should –really- get interesting in The Den, and Modoc…. Heh… you know that place no one ever goes?

Don't ask….


	3. The long road ahead

All right, Chapter 3.

This chapter is going to be the first one that shows the gradual maturing of the Chosen One, as he begins to realize just what life is like outside of his secluded village.

My –real- writing style is also going to show through a bit, seeing as the last chapter may have seemed to be somewhat light-hearted, or, even 'Campy' at some points.

Oh, yes, this one will be a bit more violent, featuring some of the 'infamous' weapon descriptions that seem to go hand-in-hand with most decent Fallout fiction. What good is knowing a weapon is being used in a fight, when you don't know anything about it?

Enjoy.

(And, I've noticed that I have quite a few hits. I'm always welcome to reviews and criticism from any willing to give it. Just make it -constructive- criticism, okay?)

-

-

Walking through the mountains leading from the village turned out to be rather uneventful, the burning sun aside.

There were the occasional packs of ants or scorpions, nothing that we hadn't already seen and hunted in our time.

When Klint and I hit the desert however, we realized just how different the world was from what we had known all of our lives.

All that we could see for miles was barren, sun scorched desert.

I looked on my PIP-Boy 2000, the small piece of magical 'Teknologie' that the Vault Dweller us, and scanned the map on it's face.

The place called 'Klamath' seemed to only be about three or four days away.

Squaring our shoulders, and figuring out how to best cover ourselves from the sun's harsh light, we slowly made our way to this 'Klamath'.

Two days went by, with the most excitement coming from small scorpions scuttling under rocks when the sun's light heated the desert floor.

It wasn't until our third day, when we were heading through a small canyon, that something happened. And, I have to say… It scared the –hell- out of me.

We'd only been walking for a bit after entering the canyon, when two figures stepped from an outcropping of shattered rocks.

We didn't think much of it, seeing as we were still rather naïve, given our limited exposure to the world. I tried calling out, and got a response: They both turned, a man and woman, stared for a moment, and came running, howling wildly as they did.

I thought they were just people who had gotten too close to the spirits when they used herbs, but, then, I got a closer look.

They were both wearing strange hides for clothing, and their faces were twisted maliciously.

What caught my breath, was the sharp teeth, and what they screamed… "MEAT!"

They were going to try and kill us, and eat us.

They were cannibals, the people with poisoned knives my uncle, the trader, Slik, told us about.

It took all of our will to bring our spears up in both hands, instead of the normal overhand stabbing position, and ready ourselves for their charge.

We didn't wait long.

The man came screaming maddeningly, rushing as quickly as he could, to what he though would be his next meal. All he ended up eating was my spear tip, when I stabbed it into his jaw.

Our spears are hard to make, chunks of steel ripped from pre-war 'teknologie', bent and cut into a sharp, jagged edge, tied to a stout aspen pole with heavy brahmin sinew, and decorated with personal markings, and trophies of our battles.

The hard steel didn't have any trouble piercing his jaw, and slowly gouging into his backbone, mainly from the momentum of his charge. He was dead before I had even ripped my spear free, which completely destroyed his face when the serrated edge ripped away flesh and chunks of bone.

I looked over to Klint, and saw that he too had just finished impaling his opponent, and was already cleaning his spear on her clothing, that I know knew wasn't leather from any brahmin or gecko. It was human.

After cleaning our weapons, and trying to regain our composure after seeing something so chilling, we grabbed what little we could find from the bodies: two poisoned knives, made much in the same way our spears were, with longer, edged blades, normally used for anything from hunting, to cutting poles for a tent, though, these also had the poison of a scorpion, mixed by an evil shaman with other materials, coating it. We also came upon a handful of the small disks the Elder called 'munney', that the outsiders traded for other things.

The faces of the dead cannibals haunting us, we moved on, seeing more of the same, desert, some scrub weed, the occasional cactus, things one would expect in a desolate wasteland.

Two more days of travel went by, and we saw many strange huts in the distance, most of them looked half-destroyed, but, some were whole, and had people around them.

I looked at my PIP-Boy, and saw that we had made it to the village called 'Klamath'.

Hopeful, we made our way towards the village, expecting the end of our journey to be just ahead.

We didn't realize that this was just the beginning.

-

-

A slight change in story progression, and, overall, I am more satisfied with this than the mildly 'kiddy-ish' previous chapter.

As I said, reviews and constructive criticism is –quite- welcome.

I'll hopefully have the next chapter up today or tomorrow.


End file.
